Craig Melvin had a small blip on-air during an episode of Today after Hoda Kotb’s exit from the show.
The newscaster was taking on his anchor duties on the morning of January 31 when he said, “Stay tuned for Today With Hoda & Jenna.” Quickly, he realized that the show no longer goes by that title since Hoda, 60, departed the program on January 10.
Craig, 45, then corrected himself, saying, “Oops, force of habit, Jenna & Friends.” Today’s fourth hour was renamed Today With Jenna & Friends and Jenna Bush Hager has been welcoming celebrity guest cohosts on the show since Hoda left.
Hoda decided to leave the show and fans were devastated, but so happy for her in this new chapter in her life with daughters Haley and Hope. The NBC personality admitted that leaving the program was something she had been thinking about for a little while.
“It was something that was nestled in the way-back of my mind, and especially with my kids and the ages they are, I thought about it on days that were long or days that I missed things,” Hoda told Marie Claire in an interview last month. “When you’re in love with something, it’s like, why would you ever break up with someone you’re in love with? It doesn’t make any sense to do that. But I realized that there are phases of life, and the Today show and NBC has been my longest relationship of any I’ve ever had. I wanted to see what kind of possibilities were available to me beyond this incredible job.”
Hoda said that her 60th birthday on August 9, 2024, was the big turning point that made her realize it was her time to leave the show.
“It was like a rocket ship. I looked outside, I looked out at the plaza, and I just knew,” the mom of two explained. “This is the mountaintop. This is the top of the wave. I’ve reached the pinnacle. And I just knew. I thought to myself, It’s time for the next wave, whatever it is.”
Craig was named as Hoda’s replacement in the show’s early morning hours next to Savannah Guthrie, but a permanent fourth-hour cohost has yet to be named. So far, Jenna, 43, has been doing a fantastic job leading the fourth hour while sitting alongside guest cohosts like Wynonna Judd, Ciara, Scarlett Johansson and more in each episode.
“It’s just wild — just the fact that these A-list of stars who could be doing anything want to be sitting on our set is a testament to the show and to what we’ve built,” Jenna reflected on the show’s new format.
Even though Hoda is no longer part of the Today crew, Jenna’s got a great team of people backing her before she heads out onto the stage each day.
“Now, there’s this trepidation — ‘I’m doing this show by myself.’ But I’m not doing it alone,” the former first daughter said. “We have this incredible team. And I honestly mean that, and I’m going to need them.”
